Going for greenGoing for green

The UEA campus is a balance of Listed buildings of historical significance, and modern technology and architectural exploration. We are proud of our campus and operational successes.

We're an award winning University for sustainability, but don't just take our word for it...

The Enterprise Centre (June 2015)

The Enterprise Centre is UEA and Norfolk’s showcase low carbon building, on track to be the UK’s greenest commercial building.

Awards include: the Education and Healthcare category at the annual BREEAM Awards; the Built Environment category in the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards 2016; the Sustainable Achievement category in the 2015 Education Estates Awards; Norfolk Association of Architects Craftsmanship Award and President's Award for Design; and the Architects Journal Readers' Choice Award.

The Enterprise Centre is also a Finalist in the 2016 Green Gown Awards, as well as being shortlisted in the Building Magazine Building Awards ('Sustainable project of the year') and for three awards in the Structural Timber Awards.

Crome Court (August 2014)

Crome Court is our newest accommodation block. Certified as BREEAM Excellent, it has also won a number of awards; the 2015 RICS Grand Final for ‘Design through Innovation’, the 2014 Construction Computing Awards ‘Collaboration Project of the Year’, and the 2015 Green Gown Awards in the ‘Built Environment’ category.

“Further showcasing UEA’s low carbon campus, Crome Court is an example of how seriously we take both our environmental impact and providing the highest quality student experience.” — Professor David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor

EMS success (May 2015)

In May 2015 UEA's Environmental Management System (EMS) was successfully audited for both the Platinum EcoCampus award and for the international standard, ISO14001. This was retained in our review audit in June 2016.

UEA's EMS covers all operational and research activity: 'Education, research and support services' received the top EcoCampus rating. Many other universities challenge themselves to a smaller scope.

The UEA Open Energi scheme was highly commended in the 2014 Green Gown Awards, Technical Innovation for Sustainability category.

UEA was celebrated for adopting a dynamic approach to electricity demand, becoming the first university to install a unique energy management technology across its campus. By working alongside a company called Open Energi, UEA uses demand response to manage peaks of energy, helping National Grid to keep the lights on and cutting UK CO2 emissions.

Community Biodiversity Awards (2012)

In 2012 we won a Community Biodiversity Award from the Norfolk Biodiversity Partnership for our Biodiversity Action Plan, Campus Conservation Project, and Wildlife Trail. The University was also awarded two awards in the annual Britain in Bloom competition, for community involvement and boosting local biodiversity.

ZICER wins Low-Energy Building of the Year (2005)

The Zuckerman Institute for Connective Environmental Research (ZICER) won the ‘Low Energy Building of the Year' award in the Building Magazine's 2005 sustainability competition.

At the time, the building showcased some of the most innovative environmentally friendly building design in the world. Photovoltaic panels generate 33kW of electricity in peak conditions. This is fed into the building, reducing the demand on the grid. The building is naturally cooled by air which is circulated at night through the building's hollow Termodeck floors. Improved insulation, triple glazed windows, energy efficient lighting, as well as better sealing and more efficient air handling result in very low energy standards.